This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
FanDuel's main slate for Sunday excludes the three earlier matches of the day, and commences at 7:00 p.m. EST with Cleveland hosting Denver. The top contest on the slate is the $7 NBA Shot, which has a $100k prize pool and $20k for first place.
SLATE OVERVIEW
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Dallas-Sacramento lists the highest projected total of the night, but we also gave some exposure to the Celtics as they'll tackle Memphis' anemic defense on the road. We also gave a lot of love to Portland, even though we excluded the backcourt from our top endorsements as they deserve additional consideration.
INJURIES
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report. Below are some of the most recent and relevant injuries for Sunday. Keep in mind that this is not a complete list. Use your best judgment when evaluating ongoing injury scenarios elsewhere on the slate.
CLE Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) - OUT
I'm a fan of Caris LeVert ($6,500) without this absence, but I expect him to have an even better showing with Mitchell sidelined. Darius Garland ($7,700) is back, so he'll also carry a heavy load.
BOS Jaylen Brown (groin) - QUESTIONABLE
Brown may suit up, but conventional wisdom suggests the team may give him the night off against a slumping Memphis squad. Look to the rest of the starters if he can't go.
ELITE PLAYERS
We have nine players with five-figure salaries, but there's one in the group who I still feel is undervalued relative to his recent production - and that's Domantas Sabonis ($10,300). The game against Dallas lists the highest projected total on the slate by a fairly wide margin. And while that also suggests productive games for players on both teams, I'd go for Sabonis over Luka Doncic ($11,000) in this scenario. I'm not suggesting Doncic will falter, but you're getting what should be similar production for $1,500 less.
Based on that logic, one would assume De'Aaron Fox ($9,800) and Kyrie Irving ($8,500) will be worthwhile options, though I would split the difference and take Desmond Bane ($8,700) over both. Despite a tough matchup against the Celtics, he's a much better option than Irving. And compared to Fox, we can use the Doncic/Sabonis call as comparison. I don't doubt solid production, but the $1,100 salary differential will pay off.
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Kristaps Porzingis, BOS
($7,900) @ MEM
The great thing about Sabonis and Porzingis is their dual eligibility. We can slot them in PF or C, which still seems a bit ridiculous though I'm not complaining. This is a great spot against the Grizzlies, who are understaffed and overworked. Porzingis came back from a knee issue with a 46-FDFP night against Toronto Friday. And while he's underperformed in a few outings, this spot against Memphis is too good to pass up.
Deandre Ayton, POR
($7,300) vs. OKC
I can see a path to Porzingis and Sabonis in our PF slots and giving center to Ayton, who's struggled but came back to life in his last game against the Lakers. Portland needs help wherever they can get it, and that's why they brought Ayton in after shipping Jusuf Nurkic out. He hasn't met expectations, yet the recent total is a positive sign and the Thunder's defense is about halfway through the pack against opposing centers.
Jrue Holiday, BOS ($6,700) @ MEM
Holiday continues to be too cheap despite some pretty obvious upside in Boston's lineup. If Jaylen Brown misses out, I'm inclined to pile even more exposure on Holiday as he's one good assist night away from matching value. Derrick White ($6,200) sits further down the list, though I think he's equally capable of posting a significant number as the Grizzlies sit last defensively against opposing point guards.
Jerami Grant, POR ($6,900) vs. OKC
When you can grab a team's primary offensive catalyst below $7,000, you pounce on that opportunity. The Thunder's defense is improved, though I question their potential effectiveness against Grant as he's been practically matchup-proof at this salary. He's also valuable due to his four-slot capability and can fill an SF slot that may prove to be a little challenging this evening.
Also consider: D'Angelo Russell, LAL
($6,800) vs. HOU
VALUE PLAYS
With the injury spots taken into account, here are some additional budget plays we favor for Sunday.
Keyonte George, UTA
($5,300) vs PHX
Thankfully, FanDuel hasn't restricted George's role yet, so we can put him at SG and PG. The team now feels pretty sold on a tandem of him and Jordan Clarkson ($7,000). And while I think Clarkson is too expensive, George is valued just right with upside against a Phoenix backcourt defense that carries some issues. His stat lines represent an almost game-by-game increase and offers a great chance to beat value if he can maintain his assist numbers.
Luguentz Dort, OKC
($5,100) @ POR
Dort produced a lousy game against the Warriors during his last appearances, but he's had a few days of rest and should be able to generate enough points to be worthwhile. He's on track for a career year having improved his shotmaking to match his potent defensive skill set. We can also grab Dort at SG or SF. And if we look at Portland's defense against his position, they're certainly nothing special having yielded an average of 24 FDFP to opposing wingmen.
Grant Williams, DAL
($4,600) vs. SAC
I'm squeezing out the data here, but simple stats like projected total and overall matchup persuaded me to look further into Williams. Though there were no drastic changes, he almost doubled his shot attempts in his last game against the Wizards and has been able to produce a bit more after registering a goose egg against the Pelicans. The Kings have Sabonis and Fox at their disposal, though they tend to give wingmen some leeway. Williams and Tim Hardaway ($5,300) are inextricably tied to each other if you look at the game-by-game flows. And if you look at last year's numbers, Hardaway's success against the Kings was pretty pathetic. It's a deep dive, but Williams could represent an excellent budget call if he can get the upper hand on Hardaway in the rotation.
